Sengoku, Pancrase Champion Sandro ‘Well Satisfied’ in Japan

Marlon Sandro holds featherweight championships in two major Japanese promotions, and though the idea of competing in the United States interests him, he appears content to ply his trade in the Land of the Rising Sun.

The Brazilian juggernaut has knocked out four of his last five opponents, three of them in less than a minute. Calls for Sandro to head stateside only figure to intensify.

“I’ve wanted to fight in the U.S., but I’m very happy there in Japan,” he said. “The organization likes me, the president also likes me and everyone else is enjoying my style of fighting. In the U.S., I could be earning big money, as well, with the level of fighting I’m seeing, but I’m well satisfied with my salary and my job.”

Sandro has two fights remaining on his contract in Sengoku and hopes to continue competing in Japan in the future, no matter where his considerable talents take him.

“For now, I have to fulfill my contract there,” he said. “I do not compare it with the United States, for surely business there is much better; I compare it a lot with the level in Brazil. Comparing my salary in Brazil with what I receive in Japan, there’s a big difference, so I’m pretty happy with it.

“I already have enough fans there in Japan, and I think I have fans worldwide,” Sandro added. “I have fans in the U.S. and Canada, too, but in Japan, I have many more. I could run the world, and I would continue to fight there because of my affection for the public. Because I started my international career in Japan, they are very fond of me and have a great affection for me, so I try to reciprocate.”

Sandro has won 17 of his first 18 professional mixed martial arts bouts. He knocked out Masenori Kanehara in just 39 seconds last month to capture the Sengoku featherweight championship at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. Kanehara left the cage on a stretcher.

“Kanehara is a very tough opponent,” Sandro said. “How would a five-round fight gone? I would have tried to maintain calm in order to get a knockout or a submission, or try not to wear down if it went to a decision. Nevertheless, thank God I managed to hit an uppercut, and he fell.”

Sandro was no stranger to championship glory. In October 2008, he became the featherweight King of Pancrase in a unanimous decision victory over Masaya Takita.

“I feel like I’ve done well,” Sandro said. “I already had a belt from a promotion that’s a tradition in Japan; it gave me great confidence. Now, I have one in a bigger promotion, which is giving me visibility worldwide. I’m very happy to have won these two titles and to have them in my hands.”

Anchored at the revered Nova Uniao camp, Sandro trains alongside World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion Jose Aldo -- the man most view as the top 145-pound fighter in the world. He credits his team and its founder, Andre Pederneiras, for his success.

“I think that it’s the unity we have,” Sandro said. “I could cite a bunch of stuff, but a major part is the unity we have. When people from other academies go to our gym, they feel a different climate. We don’t have problems with each other. We always try to help each other. We always talk, and I think it makes a difference. Not to mention, we have a teacher who is an exceptional guy.”

Pederneiras, who has trained a number of champions, including B.J. Penn, is the straw that stirs the Nova Uniao drink.

“He’s a guy who doesn’t care to be called ‘master.’ He wants us all to show him respect and treat him as a friend, and he will do the same with us,” Sandro said. “He’s a very nice guy and knows too much. He has enough experience and has fought a lot. Not that other coaches don’t have experience, but he’s amazing. He’s a guy who accepts criticism and is always looking to improve.”

A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Sandro won his first 14 professional fights before his match with UFC veteran Michihiro Omigawa in the 2009 Sengoku featherweight grand prix semifinals ended in a controversial “must” decision against him. The 33-year-old has not sniffed defeat since, as his last three victories have ended, on average, in 67 seconds. Sandro’s stand-up skills, honed by boxing coach Giovani Diniz and muay Thai coach Johnny Eduardo, have become a feared weapon.

“I’m working hard,” Sandro said. “I’m putting enough emphasis on striking and physical preparation, on power and strength, so I can connect on punches and finish the fight quickly.”

Sandro expects to defend his Sengoku championship in the next few months in what could serve as another turning point in his career.

“I must fight in Sengoku around August or September, but I still don’t know the date,” he said. “I’m waiting, and I’ll try to be prepared to defend my title. It’s like they say, you can’t be considered the owner of the belt until you defend it.”